Nebraska Cattlemen
Foundation (NCF) President, Jeff Heldt presented awards to industry
professionals at the NCF lunch program held December 8 during the
Nebraska Cattlemen Annual Convention and Trade Show in Kearney.

The Friend of the
Foundation award is presented annually to a person and/or business that
has shared endless amounts of time, talent and/or treasure with the
Nebraska Cattlemen Foundation. The 2016 recipient was Al and JoAnn Svajgr
of Cozad. The Svajgr's are involved in farming, ranching, backgrounding,
cattle feeding and banking. They are active in many community, church and
civic activities as well as local, state and national beef industry
organizations. Al is a past president of the Dawson County Cattlemen,
past president of the Nebraska Livestock Feeders Association, and past
chairman of the Cattlemen's Beef Board (CBB). Al & JoAnn have given
back to their community and the beef cattle industry numerous times with
financial support as well as many volunteer hours to educate others about
cattle in Nebraska.

The Nebraska Beef
Industry Endowment was established in December 2009 and provides grants
to beef industry-related research and/or teaching positions at Nebraska
post-secondary educational institutions. This award honors those professors
or instructors that are providing cutting edge research and/or student
instruction in a beef industry related area. For 2016, the Foundation
awarded grants to Dr. Dennis Burson, Professor Meat Extension & Food
Safety Specialist at UNL, Jo Bek, Professor of Animal Science at Nebraska
College of Technical Agriculture and Mike Roeber, Agriculture Instructor
and Livestock Judging Coach at Northeast Community College.

The Nebraska Range
& Conservation Endowment was established in December 2011 and
provides grants to range management and conservation research and/or
teaching positions at Nebraska post-secondary educational institutions.
This award honors those professors or instructors that are providing
cutting edge research and/or student instruction in a range management
and conservation related area. For 2016, the Foundation awarded the grant
to Dr. Doug Smith, Division Chair/Assistant Professor of Animal Science
and Agriculture Education at the Nebraska College of Technical
Agriculture in Curtis.

The Cattlemen's Legacy
Society recognizes donors that have created endowments within the
Nebraska Cattlemen Foundation. This year, three donors were recognized
for establishing scholarship funds:

Bill Briggs
Family Endowed Scholarship - established by Carole Briggs and her
family remembering their husband and father, Bill, and showcasing
the impact the Briggs family has had on the beef industry in
Nebraska.

Jim &
Helen Gran Endowed Scholarship - established by Jim to honor his
late wife Helen and their contributions to the Beef Industry in
Nebraska.

Todd
Ricenbaw Memorial Scholarship - established by the Ricenbaw Family
and the Nebraska Cattle Beef Pit in honor of Todd who was a strong
promoter of agriculture and the beef industry and served on the
Nebraska Cattlemen Beef Pit Committee.

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The Nebraska Cattlemen
Foundation was created in 1968 and has been nurturing important, long
term facets of the cattle industry, education for our future leaders and
promoting needed research. The Foundation's mission is to advance the
future of Nebraska's Beef Industry by investing in research and education
programs. For more information concerning NCF, contact Lee Weide,
Nebraska Cattlemen Vice President of Operations at 402.475.2333 or Jana
Jensen, NCF Fundraising Coordinator at 308.588.6299.